Insightful peek into Tibetan life

Lynley Marett doesn't class her overseas adventures as "holidays". Instead she calls them "learning excursions".

Most recently the 58-year-old Fairlie woman fulfilled a long-held wish to explore Tibet. Timaru Herald reporter Bethany Marett talks to her mother about her intrepid adventure.

"The freedom we experience as New Zealanders to think, speak and move through our country is taken for granted and seldom considered until we find ourselves in a situation where these freedoms are restricted."

This soon became evident to Lynley Marett when, prior to boarding the aeroplane at Guangzhou Airport in mainland China she was subjected to a lengthy process of checking, re-checking and photocopying of documents to satisfy the Chinese officials that her visit to Tibet was non-threatening. She had a few days to spare between scheduled visits to China and Mongolia.

For foreigners travelling from China into Tibet the requirement to have a guide and "a schedule" so your movements within the country may be monitored was a concept not readily accepted by those accustomed to freedom like Lynley, and something that would be encountered throughout her five days in the country.

After being picked up at the airport by her Tibetan guide and driver, Lynley said the 68km journey into Lhasa provided insight into the Tibetans' home territory.

"Houses along the roadside were of recent construction with brightly decorated frontages, apparently for appearances along the main entry to Lhasa.

"Greenhouses on what was previously Tibetan farmland now produce copious quantities of melons and vegetables for the Chinese market."

Once at the hotel in the Tibetan Quarter of Lhasa, it was suggested she rest to acclimatise to the altitude, having flown from sea level to 4000 metres.

However, Lynley found this difficult with the sights and sounds of the Old Town inviting exploration. So she ventured out into the market streets, which she described as appearing to go on forever and offering everything imaginable for sale.

"Slabs of meat cut to size as requested, dried cheeses, grains, clothing items – all piled up on tables, stools, benches, or in sacks or containers."

Lynley said many of the buildings had beautiful hoardings above wide doorways, clearly indicating the nature of their products or services. Temporary stalls were located in front of these permanent shops, often displaying a variety of goods of questionable quality, many of which had been brought in from Nepal.

Lynley's "schedule" allowed her to venture out into the area in the immediate vicinity of the hotel but not to travel unaccompanied outside the city area, to use public transport or visit sites not previously arranged.

"Our travels outside of Lhasa subjected the guide to regular checks of both his and my documentation, ensuring that we were on track. An essential item on the schedule was a visit to the magnificent Potala Palace sited on a hill overlooking Lhasa.

"With lots of stairs to climb and the effects of altitude to consider, `slowly, slowly' was the guide's key phrase and there were frequent stops to take advantage of the views."

Lynley learnt that Potala Palace was built in two stages, the first, The Red Section, in the seventh century and the second, The White Palace, in the 17th century.

"Entry was strictly controlled as to the time and duration of the visit [one hour only] ensuring visitors made quick progress through the elaborately decorated rooms. The rooms were patterned with beautiful natural earthy colours – reds, browns, greens. There were bronze and gold ornamental treasures, tombs and the ever dominant Buddhas."

With the departure of her guide by 3pm and lots of daylight hours left it was an opportune time to visit two other monasteries on the outskirts of Lhasa.

Lynley said information as to which bus to catch was easily acquired, followed by a pleasant if rather slow plod up the hill to the first of the monasteries.

This proved to be less than inviting with a cluster of males "guarding the entry" so she continued to the second.

The "friendly, fluent English speaking" Chinese ticket office attendant suggested it was not worth her while paying to enter as they were nearing closing time, but then proceeded to request "visitor information data" that he was "obliged" to collect.

Lynley continued to explore the exterior of the monastery and to take advantage of the views over the city, which included those of recent developments financed and constructed by the Chinese.

Shortly after her arrival back at the hotel Lynley received a call from a very upset guide.

"He informed me that he had received a visit from the police as I had been visiting an area unaccompanied by him and outside the sites listed on my schedule.

"I was to stay in my room until he arrived to discuss the possible consequences of my indiscriminate wanderings."

Lynley said the guide, who was a quietly spoken, conscientious and obviously respected person in guiding circles, was visibly upset and she realised the incident was obviously far more alarming than she could have imagined.

"He was the one threatened with loss of guiding privileges, although should this have occurred I too would have been limited to exploring only my immediate environs within Lhasa and have to forego my organised trip into the rural areas surrounding Gyantse and Shigatsu."

The incident was eventually resolved with Lynley taking responsibility for her independence and promising "to be good" – a task she said proved to be easier said than done in new unexplored territory.

Lynley describes the Tibetan people as being more like native South Americans than the Chinese.

"They are of more sturdy build and ruddy complexion, with smiling faces displaying gleaming white teeth, typical of those peoples living in areas where physical and climatic challenges are a daily reality.

"Dress is still conservative even in the towns with the women in long skirts, blouses under waistcoats, aprons or material `pockets' bunched around the middle, and a variety of attractive wide brimmed hats providing a colourful finish."

"This is in contrast to the Chinese style of dress which is more contemporary and involving less coverage and more cleavage."

Lynley said in whatever direction you looked "prayer flags" fluttered as they adorned all religious sites and house roofs, and in the rural areas whatever physical landmarks they could be attached to – rocky outcrops, mountain tops, across rivers and gorges and even on power pylons.

"Their colourful fluttering was in stark contrast to the barren, rocky landscape."

Small prayer wheels are also carried and rotated, and prayer beads fingered endlessly by a steady procession of pilgrims on the sacred pathways to the accompaniment of murmured chants as they "circumambulate", always in a clockwise direction.

"This is most evident on the Barkhor Circuit around the Jokhang, the most revered religious structure in Lhasa, where many of the devout, energetically prostrate themselves moving smoothly from a vertical to a horizontal position."

The iconic monasteries were sturdy, dark and often windowless.

"The interiors were cluttered with Buddhas and butter candles emitting a constant rancid smell that permeates furnishings and lingers on in the nostrils long after departing.

"Monks, although far fewer in number than days past with numbers allowed in the Monasteries restricted, still create a strong presence both within the temples and outside on the streets where they wander at will and communicate freely on their mobile phones."

At the Sera Monastery Lynley was transfixed by the young monks who gathered in the tree-shaded courtyard on a daily basis to ritually debate religious issues.

"Their arms were flailing in all directions entertaining the onlookers with their vigorous physical endorsements of their arguments, even if not a word could be understood by their foreign audience."

Since the riots of March 2008, Lynley said the Chinese military presence in Tibet had increased markedly, especially in Lhasa, and soldiers in full riot dress were constantly on the move, stationed at street corners or outside prominent buildings, and on surveillance from the roof tops.

"Foreigners are suspected of inciting violence and are therefore to be discouraged from visiting and certainly from taking photographs of military personnel or posts.

"This was not easy, particularly in Lhasa, as their presence was such that they frequently came into view just as a camera was poised ready to click."

Lynley said the threat of cameras being confiscated was a strong deterrent, along with the temporary loss of guiding rights for the accompanying guides which would result in an end to their only means of income to support their families.

Leaving Lhasa and its heavy military presence behind meant Lynley got to see some of Tibet's scenic beauty.

"The pristine blue lakes, mountain passes, snow-capped mountains, and pasture lands were just beautiful.

"Wandering through the streets of Gyantse in the early evening presented views of domestic life, where people and animals live in complete harmony."

Then while in Shigatsu Lynley experienced a national holiday, which involved hundreds of festive Tibetans gathering around the Tashilhunpo Monastery to worship and picnic.

Once again while out independently exploring, a wrong turn brought Lynley into the middle of a park filled with "rather merry" party goers.

Attempts to find ways out were seriously hampered by invitations to "join the party". However, keen to be away from the prying eyes of military personnel on the rooftops overlooking the park, Lynley, who felt she stood out as the only person with light-coloured hair, made a rapid return to her hotel.

"I got there just in time to answer a phone call from my guide, in which I reassured him of my safe return [just]."

Despite the Chinese domination of their country, Lynley was impressed by the way Tibetans have continued to hold very strongly to their Buddhist faith.

"They cling to the hope that the 14th Dalai Lama might one day return to resume his rightful role as the political and spiritual leader of Tibet."

She said "The Kora" – spiritual pathways around the monasteries – continued to be used daily, in particular in the early morning and evening.

"Hands reach out to keep the hundreds of prayer wheels turning, and to place small coins in the outstretched hands of the many beggars seated along the pathway."

She found gaining merit points to enhance their chances in the afterlife was also very important among the Tibetan people.

"They generously give money, barley or tsampa to their poor and their monks, no matter how sparse their own way of life."

Lynley admitted it was difficult as a foreign visitor to observe the Tibetans in Lhasa having to take a back seat as their city was "Chinesed" and their unique social and cultural traditions tainted by communistic ideals.

"Their plight receives little acknowledgement from nations afraid of antagonising the Chinese."

With only six days to spend in Tibet, she admits she did only gain a limited insight into the harsh realities of life in the more isolated but perhaps less politically contentious areas of Tibet.

"However, the quietly spoken Tibetan who was my daily companion throughout the duration of my visit provided cautious but insightful responses to the myriad of questions I asked.

"This certainly enhanced my understanding of the Tibetan way of life and enabled me to appreciate his concern for the future of his country and his people."

- © Fairfax NZ News